KS/MO RFO 410 recently launched two work crews on journeys to Thrivent Builds projects in Biloxi, MS. Lutheran Community Specialist, Dennis Fuhrman and Thrivent Builds Specialist, Stan Stanfield both lead the groups as they spent the entire week on the Gulf Coast. Along with the client volunteers, Cindy Stanfield, Stan's wife, you'll also find Paul Lekar and his wife, Linda, participating in their second Thrivent Builds project.

Volunteers pictured are as follows:

Dennis kept a journal of their adventure during their mission; you can read it here.

Learn more about leading a trip here.

We made it! Got to Ocean Springs after 821 miles at 12:20 PM today after staying in Jackson, MS last night. Mississippi looks just like Missouri, at night. Ha. After we got out of AR, into TN and MS it was flat just like KS so we felt at home.

Had good weather on the way, building relationships with my team which is a good bunch. I'll be so smart when I get back as I have 2 retired Lutheran school teachers, 1 retired public school teacher (since he was a 5th grade teacher I might be able to be as smart as a 5th grader), and one CPA, how about that?

Already been to the beach and stuck my fingers in the Gulf, water a little cold tho. Took a group picture on a pier so will see if we can send them later. Took some pictures of a pelican and some seagulls then the group wanted to go eat again so had to quit. They always want to eat.

Have a Orientation at 5 PM and dinner at 6PM tonight.

There's suppose to be 24 people coming in for Habitat from Texas, Iowa and Illinois, plus 3 teams of Thrivent Builds people this week.

Temperature is 67 degrees today, suppose to be 73 tomorrow (Don't you wish you were here?), when we stopped for a break 1 hour North of here, a guy had ear flappers down and we were walking around with our coats off cause it was 60 degrees there.

From Jackson south there were Sweet Potato's For Sale in the back of pickups so I think I'll bring some back they might be better for Sweet Potato Pie..

Will keep you posted this week. Have to pack my lunch at 6:30 AM and then breakfast at 7 AM before we go to work.

Think I'll go scout around and might go back to the beach which is 4 blocks away. Oh Well, it's tough job but someone has to do it.!

Later,

Been quite a day, up at 5 am to beat the rush in the wash rooms, fix my lunch and eat breakfast before the rest of volunteers get up. This was our first day on the work site, which is about 40 minute ride West from where we stay in Ocean Springs, MS. They furnish us with 2, 15 passenger vans for the Thrivent Builds Volunteers. What an impressive site when we pulled into the work site, the houses are all different styles, some are 2 foot off the ground and the others are 10 feet off the ground built on pillars which are driven 12 feet into the ground, depending on the elevation of the land. Have photos of the machine that drives these 22 foot 12"X 12" CCA timbers into the ground. This whole area looks like an ant farm with all the workers working on these homes. We were told today that this street will be named after Thrivent. Hopefully the street sign will be placed before we leave.

Stans Team worked on one of homes towards the entrance of the subdivision covering the overhangs with vinyl siding. My team worked on one towards the cul-de-sac where we did the same thing plus cutting all the spindles for the porch which goes the full length plus the front of the home. Doug Welch and Andy Melendez cut the spindles and Kurt (Americorps) and I attached them to the railing with the 3" screws.. Pastor Dan (other Thrivent Builds Team) from Texas put on sheeting on another home. I forgot to count the number of homes that are being worked on today so will tell you tomorrow, heard some numbers but they were not sure.

There are 18 Americorps students that are working here until January and then they get another assignment somewhere else. They sign on for 10 month tours with HFH. These students are 18 to 22 years old, some college students and others haven't figured out what they want to do yet. Some of the Site Supervisor's Assistants are kids that have gone thru this program previously and decided to go to work for HFH, full time. The Site Supervisor for my team was one of these students a few years ago from PA.

We got to quit working at 3 PM in order to get back to Ocean Springs for a tour of the Biloxi area along the Gulf Coast and then watched a documentary after dinner in the cafeteria on Katrina. Until I saw the area during the bus tour, I couldn't imagine the devastation that hurricane caused, gives you a whole other feeling when you see the area first hand.

Have to sign off as it's 9:45 PM and the lights will be turned off so we have to go to bed, and no talking, 5 AM will be here shortly.

And that's the way it was, Tuesday, December 9, 2008 in Ocean Springs, MS, Gulf Coast.

Good Night!

After we got back to the dorm we ate our bagged lunch and then we discussed what we had done for the past 2 days. I thought it would only take 30 minutes or so but our group is really excited about what we've accomplished here on site as well as the new relationships we've made. Comments: "I didn't think I could cut and nail siding, but I did it"., "I think my son would be very interested in the Americorps program, since he doesn't really like school." and the comments keep going as to I get back more than I give, etc. In the journal we got I've written down what the group discussed so will try and compile when I get home and share with you. I see why Steve Hatesohl feels the way he does about Thrivent Builds World Wide. The feelings are alot different in a location like this compared to local build. When you stop in a store down here and strike up a conversation the local people always thank you for coming and working on the homes. They appreciate that we come here to make a difference and help their people with housing.

Today we continued to work on the siding and vinyl siding on the overhangs. Another group came from Gulf Port, MS and worked with us for a few hours until the rain hit. Sounds like tomorrow we'll be it for the work crew.

Tonight we're going to tour the Beauvoir, Jefferson Davis mansion. The weather really hasn't cooperated very much today for photography. I called the Beauvoir and they won't let us use flash so the photos will be a challenge.

We have a mascot here, FEMA, the cat. She is the Manager of the Rodent Department. They found her after Katrina came through, they had to operate on her eye and remove it caused by the hurricane so they named her FEMA.

Tha'ts about it for today, will catch up tomorrow.

Dennis Fuhrman
Lutheran Community Services Specialist
Kansas - Missouri Region

It rained again all night, this morning along with a dozen snow flakes which didn't last too long.

When we got to the work site, we waded thru the mud to the house and after a few minutes our supervisor said he got a call not to work today. The other Thrivent Team left immediately and Stans site supervisor said he had some work we could do hanging the soffit, so we stayed and worked until 2:30 this afternoon. Andy worked with a carpet layer, putting down carpet strips, Stan and Cindy put on interior hardware, Paul Lekar, and my team hang soffit on another house. The home we've been working on for 2 days had all the dry wall hung last night. The dry wall crew said they can hang all the dry wall in 3 houses in a day.

It was rather cool thru out the day, in the 30's. We were expecting warmer weather this week but guess that isn't in the plan. We're all having a good time tho. Tomorrow night we are suppose to have dinner with the families that will be getting the homes we are working on.

To night we go to The Shed for barbecue dinner, so we are looking forward to a good meal.

Bill from New York as kind of adopted us or we adopted him, where ever we go Bill is with us. He came here by himself and just fit in with the group, he's not a member of any church but participates in our group discussions, prays with us, eats meals with us, rides to and from the work site with us and anything else we do. But that's OK. It's a great bunch of folks here.

And that's the way it is or was Thursday, December 11th, 2008, in Biloxi, MS..